Talent Recovery Strategy Requires Culture Shifts as Benefits Take Back Seat

As companies make the transition into a new year, they'll adjust and shift their cultures to reach top job candidates.

It's about being "in with the new" for a strong 2021 start. For many companies, this means focusing on talent recovery and expanding their workforce.

Companies can no longer only attract talent with modern perks, much less traditional ones. The events of 2020 redirected, and even redefined candidates' values, and so companies must adapt their talent acquisition strategies accordingly.

Top talent's expectations of what their employer offers are much different than those of early-mid 2020. As Gallup reports, "from in-office safety measures to work-from-home conference calls, leaders have been forced to reimagine every aspect of their management culture." Workers want health and safety to top the list of company priorities, and with that comes the option to work remotely, including the home. Candidates want a company, that if they accept a job, they'll have a great deal of work-life balance. People are living with increased demands outside the workplace, like caring for elderly family members, managing children who are learning in a virtual classroom, and other needs brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

---

PLAYBOOK: Preparing for Talent Recovery

---

Culture changes far outweigh perks and benefits offerings for today's job seekers. Promoting a ping pong table and free snacks when the office is closed is a tough sell. It takes an adaptive culture that will uphold the values relevant today and provide ways for employees to work, and live, during a pandemic.

For employees who've been furloughed or laid off, empathy is a non-negotiable when reaching out to them. People have been through a lot of change — ups, downs, and in-betweens have steered our every move. We've faced severe financial strain, perhaps trauma of losing a loved one to COVID-19, our home lives have been turned upside down, maybe we've experienced new mental health challenges — so we're not the same employees we were before the impacts of 2020.

---

WEBINAR: Creating Personal Connections with Candidates in a Virtual World

---

Candidates cannot be engaged with antiquated methods and strategies. They need a revamped experience, and your employer brand rides on the final product and its success.

The big idea: Benefits (even modern ones) are important, but candidates in 2021 want more from their employer. Companies should explore new ways to expand their benefit offerings, like Covid-19 medical leave policies and employee support initiatives.

Candidates and employees alike want … they demand … work/life balance, such as:

• Remote work
• Flexible work schedules
• More (if not unlimited) PTO
• Reimbursement for home internet service
• Mental health support programs
• Innovative growth opportunities
  

Successful organizations must master strategies of internal mobility, alumni engagement, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, an uncommon compensation model, and enhanced transparency.

For more, watch our on-demand webinar: "Back to Work: Successful Talent Recovery Starts Now." It's the perfect crash course for reexamining your company's culture and reaching candidates the right way.

And if you'd like to hang around, below you can hear the IRS's winning ways for sparking internal mobility and getting employees re-engaged for a post-pandemic future!